The garbage plate has never been considered a healthy meal, but that hasn’t stopped it from being a popular local dish.
Health magazine recently named Nick Tahou Hots’ garbage plate as one of the 50 fattiest foods in the country, in a listing in which each state had one representative.
Other local grills such as Fairport Hots and Hungry’s in Pittsford serve up their own versions of the plate, and neither feel the distinction will hurt its popularity.
Justin Hahs, who has been serving up the Hungry’s Plate at Hungry’s since 2007, wasn’t surprised by the news. “It’s a lot of food,” he said.
Though the “garbage plate” is only available at Nick Tahou Hots, nearly the same dish is available at many locations in the Rochester area.
For those who don’t know, the plate is often served in a large plastic container, which is filled with two sides as a base. The customer gets a choice of macaroni salad, french fries, home fries, baked beans or coleslaw. The top can include any number of hot dogs, burgers, sausages, chicken fingers or anything else you could imagine. It’s all covered up by a special meaty hot sauce, onions and a choice of other condiments.
A Hungry’s employee made up a double-cheeseburger plate and it weighed in at 1-1/2 pounds. Health magazine estimated the plate contains anywhere from 93 to 203 grams of fat.
Fairport Hots employees Mike Shane and Emily Ferrante said their Hummer Plate is by far the grill’s most popular menu item. Why it’s so popular is a mystery to them, though.
“That’s a good question,” Shane said. “It’s been going on for a long time. Alcohol, maybe.”
A good portion of the plate-eating market for both Hungry’s and Fairport Hots is the late-night crowd. Hungry’s is open until 1:30 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays, while Fairport Hots is open until 4 a.m.
The plates’ new notoriety won’t keep Pittsford native Rich Weiss from buying them.
“Of course it’s fatty, it has the name ‘garbage’ right in the name,” Weiss said. “But it’s a tradition.”
Penfield resident Kevin Leas said the list wasn’t necessary to tell people that they are unhealthy.
“Garbage plates are a Rochester staple that, in moderation, are nothing to be ashamed of or avoided,” Leas said. “I typically stick to one a year, and no study is going to convince me to drop that tradition.”
Even if people are concerned about the plate’s nutritional value, both eateries have plenty of other options like regular grill foods and submarine sandwiches.
